Total pages in book: 64
Estimated words: 60360 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 302(@200wpm)___ 241(@250wpm)___ 201(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 60360 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 302(@200wpm)___ 241(@250wpm)___ 201(@300wpm)
“Your back-up piece?” he asked her, grinning.
“Cost more than my gun,” she replied.
He jogged up the steps and unlocked the front door. His house was small, but was all he needed it to be. Just one bedroom, the living room, and an eat-in kitchen. As he flipped on the lights, he was grateful that he hadn’t yet let go of his Army training. Everything was neat and tidy and tucked away. No wayward pairs of boxer briefs littered the floors or furniture. He rarely had people here, just one of the guys every once in a while. His place wasn’t big enough for all of them, so he mostly just showed up to shower, and sleep, and nuke the occasional frozen burrito.
As she put her camera on the kitchen table, he frowned and realized that not everything was in its place today. He strode quickly across the room, swept up the mail from the table and deposited it into the drawer. He risked a glance at her when he turned around. She’d definitely seen the prison logo on the envelope he’d carelessly tossed on top of the pile earlier. He’d been busy that morning, otherwise it would have gone straight into the trash with the others.
He glowered. Even though she didn’t say anything, he felt as though he should say something, clear the air. “My father,” he told her quietly.
She actually looked surprised.
“The background check you did on me didn’t turn that up?”
She shook her head. “I just checked your service records, with the Army and the department. I have a contact at Denver PD.”
“He’s been locked up most of my life.”
“In California?”
He nodded. “That’s where I’m from.”
“Why’d you move here?” she asked.
“It’s where the rest of the guys are. They’re all that’s left of my old unit and the only family I have. That I want to talk to, anyway.”
He was done talking. It wouldn’t lead anywhere good and he didn’t like dredging up the past. He walked to the living room and she followed behind him. “You take the bedroom,” he said, pointing toward the closed door. “I’ll sleep on the couch.”
“You sure?” she asked pointedly.
Caleb wasn’t sure if she meant she’d take the couch or something else entirely. Neither was an option. “I’m sure,” he insisted. She shrugged and slipped into his bedroom. She closed the door behind her and he sat on the couch to take off his boots. It was odd having someone else here, someone else to think about. He considered turning on the television, but decided against it. He was too wound up to watch anything, too off-balance with someone else in the house. He heard the water from the shower turn on and guessed she’d found the bathroom even though he hadn’t given her much of a tour. She really didn’t need one, though. The house was self-explanatory. It was everything he needed and nothing else.
He flopped onto the couch, stared at the ceiling, and wondered for about the tenth time what in the hell he’d been thinking inviting her here. He hadn’t thought it through; it had just happened. He hadn’t gotten over the sight of that asshole’s hands on her, the crack on her forehead where he’d hit her with the door. Caleb’s instinct had been to keep her near him where he could protect her. He wondered who would protect her from him, but then thought better of it. She didn’t need to be protected from him. He barely knew her. He was just offering her a place to crash, a place to shower and—
He sat up suddenly, realizing that he’d failed spectacularly in the hospitality department. There were no towels in the bathroom. He jumped up and opened the small linen closet by the bedroom door. He pulled out a clean towel but then stood awkwardly at the door to his own bedroom. The water was off now. He regretted extending her the invitation. He’d wanted to rescind it right after he’d made it, but everyone, including the other RCPD officers called to the Rainbow, had been staring at them. He’d just wanted to get out of there and away from their intense scrutiny. He hadn’t really considered the logistics of having someone else in his house. He could at least give her the towel, let her spend the night. They could hammer out some better arrangement in the morning.
He knocked, prepared to wait, but the reply was instant.
“It’s open.”
Caleb turned the knob, expecting to see her back in her clothes. Or, he supposed, she could’ve slipped on one of his old shirts from the closet. He realized he wouldn’t have minded. But instead she stood beside his bed, naked. Her long, damp hair was loose and hung past her shoulders, almost but not quite covering her breasts. Dusky, hard nipples peeked out from between the glistening strands.